CNZD Presents deSHAME 3: The Reality of Peer Violence in Croatia

• Over 80% of children have been exposed to peer violence, which increasingly migrates from physical spaces to online platforms.
• The average child receives their first smartphone at age 8 and opens a social media profile by age 10.
• One in seven children has arranged to meet a stranger online.
• Most alarmingly, one-third of 8th graders have sent sexual content under pressure or blackmail.

Despite these risks, reporting remains low. Children often normalise violence and fear being labeled "snitches" if they speak up. The data confirms that strict bans are not the solution.

As discussed during the presentation, parents and educators must transition from being supervisors to being guides in the digital world. Prevention must start earlier, and we must collectively build a culture of trust where children know that reporting violence will result in support and protection, not judgment.